Wise words

Today is National Boss Day.  It may be an obscure holiday, but it is a legitimate holiday, nevertheless.  In honor of this day, I want to convey an interesting sentiment from the world of superheroes.  This may seem unrelated or inapplicable at first, but it will become clear.

I suspect that most people, even those who don't follow superheroes at all, know the credo that Spider-Man (alias Peter Parker) lives by.  His Uncle Ben conveyed it to him not long before he was murdered; Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”  This is a profound statement just on its face, but it is even more potent when you consider the context of why this declaration drives Spider-Man on a daily basis.  Some of you may already know this story, if so please bear with me for just a moment.

 

Peter Parker’s life was changed forever when he was bitten by a radioactive spider; the bite somehow transferred the spider’s attributes to Peter.  He gained the proportional strength and speed of a spider, the ability to stick to walls, as well as become aware of danger before it occurs (his famous “spider-sense”).  Fascinatingly, Parker initially decided to use his power to make money in wrestling.  After a game one night, Peter saw a criminal running down a hallway in his direction, but the criminal simply wanted to escape from a policeman who was chasing him.  The police officer asked Peter to help, but Peter was completely indifferent and he simply stepped aside, letting the criminal get away.

 

Not long after this, upon returning home, Peter was informed that his Uncle Ben had been shot and killed.  The policeman also reported to him that they had the man who murdered him cornered at a condemned warehouse.  Peter was filled with rage, desiring revenge.  Thus, to protect his identity, he put on the costume that he had been wrestling in, and he went after the perpetrator himself.  He was stunned to discover that the man who killed Ben was the very same man he had previously let escape.

It was in that painful moment that he finally completely understood his uncle’s words: “With great power comes great responsibility.”  Peter had been given a great power, and all he wanted to do with that power was use it for his selfish ambitions.  But he learned the hard way that, first and foremost, his power was given to be a benefit and help to others, not just for his own selfish gain.

If you are a boss, you have been given power.  With that power, there must come the understanding that you have a tremendous responsibility to use that power for the benefit and well-being of others.  It is short-sighted (at best) and egotistical (at worst) to simply use the power that has been granted to you just to promote yourself.  The Bible exhorts, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24; NKJV).  Another translation puts that verse this way: “Try to do what is good for others, not just what is good for yourselves.”  That’s a good word.

Happy Boss Day!

Kevin